I had nothing to do in the afternoon, so I sat in the dining room reading. I didn't dare lie on the bed; sitting made me more alert.

Suddenly I heard voices coming from the east-facing next door. I hadn't heard any of my neighbors' voices since I moved in.

After thinking about it, I decided not to bother them. I'll greet them when we meet again.

But the noise kept getting louder. Were they arguing? Helplessly, I closed the door, but it didn't help much.

I can't stand watching anymore, I'd better go outside. Listening to people arguing is too boring, the woman's wailing is hysterical.

Pushing the cart out the door, she was startled to find a lot of people at the door. The sound of the door opening startled the people outside, who all turned to look at Zhang Hongmei.

Zhang Hongmei smiled awkwardly, but the more she felt this way, the more she wanted to go out. She was afraid of harming innocent people and causing them to suffer undeserved misfortune.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

The burly middle-aged woman pursed her lips and reluctantly took a step forward.

Zhang Hongmei finally managed to escape the encirclement. It was really something; she was so scared that she hid in her own home. How pathetic!

It's already 2 PM, and it's getting late. Where can we go?

Go to the food supply station and see if they have any vegetables for sale, even just cabbage would be fine.

Once the land is cleared, we'll definitely plant a patch of chives, a row of cilantro, and some scallions in the yard.

These are the vegetables we eat most often, we'll prepare them in advance; other vegetables will be grown in the new garden. Flowers and such are just fluff.

At the food supply station, I bought two pounds of eggs, two cabbages, and two pounds of bean curd sheets.

There was another dish added the day after tomorrow. Zhang Hongmei didn't rush home; instead, she rode her bike to Xinyuan.

After walking around my bedroom for a while, I decided I couldn't go back so early, so I went to check out the cellar.

I opened the door under the dressing table, let it air out for a while, and then took out a flashlight and went downstairs.

As Zhang Hongmei descended the wooden ladder, it swayed precariously, and she was afraid it would suddenly break.

The cellar was very small, probably only three or four square meters. There were two boxes inside, and when you opened them, you could see that they contained ordinary ornaments and some ceramic ornaments, nothing particularly outstanding.

I took out a jade paperweight. There was no paperweight on the desk in the study, so I practiced calligraphy when I had time.

It was getting dark, and I had to go home no matter what.

Zhang Hongmei rode her bicycle to her alley, where the entrance was still crowded with people. Usually, seeing even one person was a novelty, but today there were so many people. It seemed there was no entertainment at all.

Despite all the difficulties, they finally made it back to their own doorstep.

"Hongmei, where did you go?"

"Jingze, you're back so early? I went to buy groceries."

Liu Jingze took the bicycle, and Zhang Hongmei took out her keys to open the door.

The two entered the courtyard. It was noisy outside, and they were used to peace and quiet, so they were quite unaccustomed to the hustle and bustle.

"Brother Jingze, I also bought some meat buns. I'll make some dumpling soup with tomatoes."

"I'll eat anything, this is the best meal."

Even as the two were eating, the meal next door was still not over. Then there was a knock on the door.

Zhang Hongmei had already cleared the table, leaving no food behind. Liu Jingze put the last steamed bun in his mouth before opening the door.

"Young man, please have mercy! The child is crying because he's so hungry, please give him some."

Liu Jingze deliberately swallowed the last bite of the bun with a loud smacking sound, then said, "Sorry, we're finished."

"Shall we make some more?"

"I'm so sorry, we don't have enough food, we can't even feed ourselves."

"Young people these days have no compassion at all. They won't even share a meal with their neighbors?"

“My brother and I just moved in and haven’t received our food yet, but you’re already showing your spirit of unity and friendship. We’ll come to your house for a meal later, and then we’ll treat you to a meal after we buy our food,” Zhang Hongmei said, before backing down.

"A sharp tongue from a young girl is no good." With that, he turned and walked away, carrying the little boy whose face was dirty and who had a runny nose.

Zhang Hongmei stepped out of her own gate and stood outside, watching the mother and daughter leave the alley.

An elderly woman with a round face, a full head of white hair, came over and said, "Young lady, I'm your neighbor to the west. That person just now isn't from our neighborhood; she lives far away, two alleys away. Don't pay any attention to her; she'll get stuck with you."

"Thank you so much, ma'am. We've only been here a few days and haven't had a chance to get to know each other yet."

"Hehe, it's nothing. It's just the two of us old folks at home, along with my granddaughter. My family name is Zhao. Come visit sometime."

"Okay, I'll come over and bother you when I have time."

"Why don't you go and find the out-of-towners who bought houses last year?" Another middle-aged woman approached.

"Hello, Auntie. Yes, we bought the house last year."

"Let me tell you, you overpaid for this house. The original family couldn't live here anymore even if they didn't want to sell. Their son went astray and I heard he lost a lot of money gambling. Only you outsiders wouldn't know that you wasted so much money."

"Thank you for thinking of me, Auntie."

“This girl is well-mannered. I am from the last family in this row. Our surname is Feng.”

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aunt Feng. My brother and I will keep you company for now."

"Wait a minute, little girl, what's your name?"

"Auntie, my surname is Zhang, and my name is Hongmei."

"Hongmei, don't rush off. Going back will only bring more noise. Don't you know why the neighbors are fighting?"

"Brother Jingze, you should go back and wash up and rest first. I'll stay outside for a while."

Liu Jingze didn't say anything, just nodded and went inside. Zhang Hongmei closed the door, moved aside, and avoided her own front door.

“Hongmei, let me tell you, this family probably won’t be staying here for long. I heard they were officials, but they got into trouble and were arrested. The elders in the family came and made a scene, wanting the house back. And this daughter-in-law is no pushover either, hence the trouble.”

Zhang Hongmei really didn't notice what they were crying and shouting about. She didn't like gossip and didn't like knowing other people's secrets.

Another burst of children's crying erupted, a sound that was indescribably shrill.

"What a tragedy! A family of vampires! They're running out of money, and they show no mercy whatsoever. They're trying to wipe them out! How are they supposed to survive in this freezing weather? They've kicked this mother and her four children out of here!"

"Auntie, it's not like you can just kick someone out like that. There's still the neighborhood committee and the police station, aren't there?"

"Sigh! What can we outsiders say? Let's see if the Sun family has the guts."

"Look, his eldest son is out. Where did he run off to?"

"Just wait, I reckon they've gone to find someone." Old Mrs. Zhao sighed.

"If it were me, I would have sent someone already. Even if this family wanted to, they couldn't find anyone. They're all from out of town and don't usually keep in touch. Who would come to help with something like this?"

Judging from the direction the boy ran, Zhang Hongmei guessed he was probably heading to the police station or the neighborhood committee.

A man's scream suddenly came from the courtyard, startling the three people. What happened?

"Murder? You damned jinx, how dare you cut my son? I'll fight you to the death!"